The present invention is generally related to hair bands. More particularly, the invention is related to a flexible and adjustable substantially circular band that maintains hair placement for the wearer without engaging the wearer""s individual hairs and minimizes pressure to the wearer""s head that leads to headaches.
Hair bands, or a band that holds a wearer""s hair behind the band and away from the wearer""s face and ears, have been used extensively over the years. Typically, such bands are worn by women for function and aesthetics (i.e. hair adornment). Two traditional hair bands are shown at FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows the classic plastic arcuate shaped band 2 with grips 4 (small teeth) to engage the wearer""s head 6 and hair 8 (individual hair strands shown at 9). The arcuate band 2 terminates behind the wearer""s ears 10 and is held in place by tension. FIG. 2 shows another classic: a one-piece flexible elastic band 12 that expands, similar to a rubber band, to surround the wearer""s head and is held in place through tension pressure. Both of these prior art hair bands tend to give the wearer a headache and are often removed prematurely by the wearer. Moreover, tension bands wear out over time and often cannot sufficiently remain in place.
Other hair bands are known, such as Baxley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,798, granted Oct. 20, 1998, and entitled xe2x80x9cHair Band.xe2x80x9d But Baxley teaches gripping individual strands of the wearer""s hair through the connection of a multiplicity of hook and loop fasteners, which can get caught and can cause pain to the wearer and/or hair breakage/damage.
An object of the present invention is to provide a comfortable hair band that securely holds the wearer""s hair back from the wearer""s head and ears, but without engaging individual hair strands of the wearer.
The present invention is a flexible closable hair band that is designed for comfort for the wearer. The hair band includes a flexible rod having a substantially arcuate shape having an apex and two ends. The rod is of a size to confront a wearer""s head such that the apex of the flexible rod substantially confronts the apex of the wearer""s head. The two rod ends terminate above the wearer""s ears, such that one rod end terminates above thewearer""s right ear and the rod""s other end terminates above the wearer""s left ear. According to one aspect of the invention, the rod is preferably in the range of 10-12 inches in length.
The band further includes a padded portion that encases the flexible rod. The padded portion closely confronts the wearer""s head from the wearer""s apex in a substantially arcuate path and the two ends terminate near the wearer""s ears. The padded portion provides comfort to the wearer.
The band further includes two straps extending from the ends of the padded portion, one strap per padded end portion. Each strap includes a corresponding portion of an attachable/detachable fastener such that the fastener, when mated, joins the two straps together. The resulting band and closed straps form a substantially circular ring.
In use, the wearer positions the arcuate padded portion that encases the flexible rod on the wearer""s head by placing the apex of the flexible rod atop the apex of the wearer""s head. The straps are in the open position (detached) and positioned adjacent and behind the wearer""s ears. The wearer fastens the straps together at the fastener such that the hair band is now in the closed position underneath the wearer""s hair without engaging any individual strands of the wearer""s hair.
According to one aspect of the invention, the fastener is corresponding strips of hook and loop fasteners. Alternatively, the fasteners may be snaps or hook and eye fasteners, or other well-known fastener means.
According to another aspect of the invention, the strap is an elongated padded portion having a substantially circular cross section at the end that joins the padded portion end and the strap further includes an elongated flattened portion. The flattened padded portion includes the corresponding portion of the fastener. The flattened padded portion is preferably approximately 3 to 3xc2xd inches in length.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, decorative indicia may be added to the hair band.
The invention also includes a method of manufacturing the hair band of the present invention. Beyond providing the flexible rod as discussed above, the rod is encased in tubing having two ends. Two elongated strips of padding, which may be fusible fleece, are rolled into two elongated rolls. The two padding rolls will form the straps of the hair band. One end of each padded roll is inserted and adhered, such as by glue, to one end of the encased rod. The resulting joined padded roll and encased rod is rolled within an elongated sheet of interface having two elongated edges, preferably fusible interface, where the two elongated edges are joined to encase the joined padded roll and encased rod.
A portion of a corresponding fastener to allow for ease in attaching and detaching the one portion of the fastener to the other fastener is added to the dangling ends of the interface-encased roll in order to join the two dangling ends of the interface-encased roll together when the hair band is in use.
For a neater appearance, a fabric sheath may encase the entire interface encased roll, with the fastener portions placed atop of the dangling ends of the fabric-encased roll.
In the fabric-encased roll or the lone interface-encased roll, the dangling ends may be stitched together for a neater appearance.